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As San Antonio Spurs No. 4 pick Stephon Castle sat out due to a wrist sprain, Atlanta Hawks No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher had the perfect opportunity to steal the show in Sunday’s prime-time Summer League matchup in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, the 19-year-old struggled to get going as he finished with just 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in a 79-76 loss. He made just one of his seven three-point attempts and added five rebounds, two assists and a block.
Risacher’s lackluster performance came after he impressed with 18 points and five rebounds in his Summer League debut. Sunday’s game could be an anomaly, as the Frenchman has shown flashes of being an effective NBA player.
E.J. Liddell led the Hawks with 22 points off the bench. D’Moi Hodge had a team-high 13 points for the Spurs, while 2024 second-round pick Harrison Ingram had six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Despite Risacher’s struggles on Sunday, fans were able to find things worth praising from his performance:
Hawks Surf @HawksSurf
Zaccharie Risacher is hitting 3s, throwing lobs, and SNATCHING ANKLES at Summer League. <br><br>Unfortunately he didn’t knock this one down, but for someone who gets criticized for his handle, this should give the rook some confidence. <br><br>(Via <a href=” <a href=”https://t.co/yxmte3xDOO”>pic.twitter.com/yxmte3xDOO</a>
Risacher will have a few days to work on things before returning to action when the Hawks take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Fans will surely be excited to see how he performs against the Lakers’ impressive rookie duo of Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.